Dr. Denise E. Graves-Judkins was born and raised in New York. She entered the education field in 1992 as a Teacher’s Assistant. Her passion for education began when her son started Head Start. “Some days I would volunteer and help with the students. During that time, I noticed there was need and the students enjoyed the one-on-one attention. That resulted in me applying for the Teacher’s Assistant position at Head Start.” Several years later, Denise made the decision to pursue a degree in Special Education as this area was important to her due to her son was diagnosed with a disability. “The school system advised me that he wouldn’t receive a high school diploma and would receive a special education diploma. This would have limited him, and I was determined to not let that happen. I wanted to be an advocate for those with special needs and show them they can achieve and do normal things as the rest of society.” Denise worked several jobs while putting herself through college while being a single parent to 4 children. She graduated from Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. While she attended college, she continued to work with her son daily and implementing what she had learned which allowed her son to graduate with a high school diploma. 

She transitioned from Teacher’s Assistant to several special education teaching roles that ranged from preschool to adult learning giving her further understanding of the education field. She continued her journey and received her Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee State University, and an Education Specialist Degree in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee Technological University. She also has a Specialist of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Union University. In 2018, Denise received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Union University.